As we bid adieu to 2018 it is a perfect time to reflect on a year that brought challenges to both producers and the agri-business community. Weather and trade seemed to make headlines in Farm News almost weekly.

This issue of Farm News includes a 2018 Year in Review section. Regular readers of this newspaper will recognize that our writing team covered these stories thoroughly as they developed. Now, however, it is possible - with the perspective time affords - to see how each fits into the mosaic of a news-filled year.

The year's key developments are addressed in the special retrospective section.

The events of most interest and significance to individual readers will vary. Our mission as a newspaper specializing in the agricultural world is to bring news and information about an eclectic mix of topics to those who make Farm News part of their lives weekly. As 2019 unfolds, our commitment to being the region's most-trusted source of such news will remain the top priority for our reporting team.